Accountants for startups
Startups make their most expensive accounting mistakes in month one, when there's no accountant in the room: share structures that block the next funding round, missed registrations surfacing as penalties, founder pay set by guesswork. Our startup service front-loads the thinking — formation with the right share classes (£49), every registration done in order, and a founder-pay plan that fits pre-revenue reality.
How we handle it
As you grow, the service grows in steps you can price: payroll when you hire, VAT when it's advantageous, R&D claims when the development genuinely qualifies (we're honest about that boundary — HMRC now checks), and management accounts when investors start asking monthly questions.
The fixed fees behind this service
| Service | Fixed fee |
|---|---|
| Startup Accountants | from £59/mo |
| Company Formation | from £49 |
| R&D Tax Credits | from £999 |
| Payroll | from £25/mo |
| VAT Registration | £49 |
Startup Accountants
Foundations done right: structure, registrations, runway and first-year compliance.
- Company formed and every registration done in order
- Accounting software set up from day one — clean data forever
- First-year accounts and corporation tax covered
| Launch: formation + registrations + accounts | £59/mo |
| Grow: launch + bookkeeping + VAT | £99/mo |
| Scale: grow + payroll + management accounts | £149/mo |
Company Formation
Your limited company registered and set up properly from day one.
- Company registered at Companies House, usually within 24 hours
- Share structure set up correctly — harder to fix later than to get right now
- Corporation tax registration with HMRC
| Company formation only | £49 |
| Formation + HMRC registrations (CT, PAYE) | £99 |
| Formation + registered office service (1 yr) | £149 |
R&D Tax Credits
Genuine research and development claims, prepared to survive HMRC scrutiny.
- Honest eligibility assessment first — we don't file weak claims
- Technical narrative written to HMRC's current expectations
- Qualifying expenditure identified and computed correctly
| Eligibility review — do you have a claim? | £0 |
| Full claim: technical narrative + computation + filing | £999 |
| Larger claim (qualifying spend over £100k) | £1,999 |
Payroll
Payslips, RTI submissions and pensions — run for you, on time, every time.
- Payslips produced every pay run — monthly or weekly
- RTI submissions to HMRC on or before every payday
- Auto-enrolment pension assessments and submissions
| Director-only payroll (1 person) | £25/mo |
| Up to 5 employees | £45/mo |
| Up to 10 employees | £69/mo |
VAT Registration
Registered with HMRC properly — the right scheme chosen before the first return, not after.
- Application prepared and submitted to HMRC, with your effective date chosen deliberately
- Scheme recommendation before you're locked in — flat rate, cash accounting or standard
- HMRC's follow-up questions handled by us until the VAT number arrives
| VAT registration with HMRC | £49 |
| Registration + scheme advice (flat rate, cash accounting) | £79 |
| Registration + first VAT return | £119 |
From first message to done
WhatsApp or the form — a few sentences is enough. A real person replies the same working day.
One price for the job, confirmed before anything starts. Complex case? We say so now, not on the invoice.
Photos of documents are fine. We chase whatever's missing — that's part of the job, not yours.
You review everything first; filings go to HMRC or Companies House electronically with same-day confirmation.
Deadlines that apply here
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| On or before each payday | RTI Full Payment Submission due to HMRC — every single pay run |
| 22nd of each month | PAYE and NI payment due to HMRC (19th if paying by post) |
| 31 May | P60s must be given to all employees |
| 6 Jul | P11D benefits-in-kind forms due |
Why choose Bohzo Accountants in the UK?
Your fee is agreed before any work starts and never changes mid-job. No hourly billing, ever.
Secure portal and WhatsApp — no office visits, no printing, no waiting rooms.
Bohzo Accountants is a trading name of IGI Security Services Ltd, Company No. 15881180.
We track every HMRC and Companies House date that applies to you, so you don't have to.
Terms you'll meet along the way
Model articles
The default constitutional rules a company adopts at formation. Fine for simple companies; customised articles matter once investors or multiple founders arrive.
Share classes
Different types of shares (A, B, ordinary, preference) carrying different rights to dividends, votes and capital — the structure decision that's cheap at formation and expensive later.
Authentication code
The 6-character code Companies House issues at incorporation — the company's electronic signature, required for every online filing.
Personal Code
The 11-character identifier directors receive after mandatory identity verification (in force since November 2025), used on filings alongside the company's authentication code.
RTI
Real Time Information — the rule that HMRC must receive a payroll submission on or before every payday, not at year end.
Auto-enrolment
The legal duty to enrol eligible staff into a workplace pension and contribute. Applies from your first employee, with The Pensions Regulator watching.
P60 / P45
The annual summary each employee gets after 5 April (P60), and the leaving statement when someone departs (P45).
Rolling 12-month test
The £90,000 threshold is measured over any consecutive 12 months, not your accounting year — the detail that catches most late registrants.
Accountants for startups: your questions answered
What should a startup set up in the first month?
The company with deliberate share classes, corporation tax registration, a business bank account, bookkeeping software from day one (cheap now, painful retrofitted), PAYE if founders take salary, and a decision log on VAT. Our startup pack (£199) covers the lot with a calendar of what's due when.
How should founders pay themselves early on?
Usually a small salary up to the NI threshold (preserves state pension credit, costs nothing in tax) plus dividends only when profits genuinely exist. Pre-revenue founders often take nothing and build director loan credit. It's a per-situation call — the plan is part of onboarding, not an extra.
Do we qualify for R&D tax relief?
If you're resolving genuine technological uncertainty — not just building something new to you — possibly, and it's valuable: the merged scheme pays a meaningful credit on qualifying spend. We assess honestly before claiming; speculative claims now attract HMRC enquiry letters, which cost more than the credit.
What is SEIS/EIS advance assurance and do I need it?
It's HMRC's provisional confirmation that investment in your company qualifies for SEIS/EIS tax relief — and most angels won't invest without it. We prepare and submit the application, including the business plan framing HMRC expects.
We haven't made any money yet — do we still need an accountant?
Your filing duties start at incorporation, revenue or not — accounts, confirmation statements, corporation tax registration. Getting software and structure right from day one is also dramatically cheaper than untangling a year of DIY records later.
Should I be a sole trader or a limited company?
It depends on profit level, risk and how you'll pay yourself. Very roughly, incorporation starts becoming tax-efficient around £30,000–£40,000 of profit — but liability protection and client expectations matter too. Try our Ltd vs sole trader calculator, or ask us for a view on your numbers.
Can I use your address as my registered office?
Yes — our registered office service keeps your home address off the public record at Companies House and includes scanning of statutory mail.
Does my work actually qualify as R&D?
The test is whether you sought an advance in science or technology by resolving uncertainty a competent professional couldn't readily solve. Routine development doesn't qualify; genuine technical problem-solving often does. Our free eligibility review gives you a straight answer before you spend anything.
How much is a claim worth?
Under the merged scheme, broadly a 20% expenditure credit on qualifying spend — staff costs, subcontractors, software, consumables. A company with £100,000 of qualifying spend sees a benefit in the region of £15,000–£16,000 after tax.
I'm the only employee of my company — do I need payroll?
If you pay yourself a salary, yes — you need a PAYE scheme and RTI submissions even for one person. Director-only payroll is our most popular package at £25/mo, and we set the salary at the most tax-efficient level for you.
What is auto-enrolment and does it apply to me?
Every employer must assess staff for a workplace pension and enrol eligible employees. Even if your only staff member is you as director, you have duties to declare. We handle assessments, letters and declarations as part of the service.
When do I legally have to register?
When your taxable turnover passes £90,000 in any rolling 12-month period — not your accounting year, which is the detail that catches people. You must also register if you expect to cross it in the next 30 days alone. We'll check your position for free before you commit to anything.
Is registering voluntarily ever worth it?
Often, yes — if your customers are VAT-registered businesses, you reclaim VAT on your costs while your prices stay effectively unchanged to them. If you sell to the public, it's usually a straight price rise. That's exactly the conversation we have before filing.
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